Hokage for the Month
by Supergirl saves the world
Summary: Lady Tsunade has the chance to forge a treaty between the Land of Fire and the Land of Water. But in her absense, who will be chosen as the Subitute Hokage of the Hidden Leaf Village? You may be surprised, you may not. Good story. Includes most characters


Chapter 1

Chapter 1

This is my second story I've ever written, so go easy on me. It's pretty good and it'll get more exciting as it goes on. This chapter is just the start, but it's cool. Do you like the title? I do!! :) smiles 4 all!

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Tsunade held the edge of the open scroll firmly between her index and thumb, staring down at the complicated dashes of ebony ink that revealed to her the best news she's had in years. Could this message be a joke? A trap? No, whoever wrote these words was dead serious. Did the Land of Water, whom the Land of Fire rivaled for so long, really want to negotiate peace? Her red nails left imprints in the parchment as the Hokage allowed the scroll to slowly roll back up. Peace. A word rarely used to describe the relationship between two villages of late. Tsunade exhaled a long sigh. The news was almost too good to be true.

"What caused them to become so peaceful all of a sudden?" She said to herself, setting the precious scroll on her desktop alongside unfinished papers and mission schedules. Ah, so much to do. The moon shone like a silver coin in the starless night sky, casting white rays through the windows into the office. Tsunade closed her tired eyes and leaned back into her chair. This peace treaty was an once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. No more rivalry for training land, no more skirmishes with overlapping patrols, no more lives lost because of some stupid disagreement. She wouldn't let it blow away. If her enemy was truly serious on setting down a treaty, then she would corporate. The thought made her heart beat faster.

She would have to set up a time, place, and offering. She would have to reveal her plan to the ninja council too. Ugh, the council. No matter how many good points one of Tsunade's debates had, the council always found some stupid flaw that they managed to sound three times as bad. Oh well. Peace. Just the sound of the word would lighten them up.

"Heh." A smile curved the edges of her ruby mouth and her breathing became deep. Preparations could wait until morning. Her thoughts gave way to soft snores as the quiet night carried on.

* * *

"Yeeeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaaaah," Naruto yawned and stretched, extending his fingers to clench at the air in the pleasure of awakening his sleepy muscles. The morning was pleasant and the first rays of the day's sun lit his apartment room. Today was a special day for the young ninja, for today was the first day of spring, and also the day in which Naruto was finally going to make his move. Sakura, ah, Sakura wasn't going to be able to resist him. He had his wallet froggy stuffed with money from his recent missions, a newly washed outfit, and, wait for it, cologne! Naruto giggled with anticipation as he sat up in his bed and clutched the small crystal bottle to his chest. He had slept with it tucked under his pillow, one finger always touching its smooth surface to reassure himself that it was still there. The cologne was the most expensive thing Naruto had ever bought , but once the seller told him girls found the scent irresistible, he couldn't help but buy it. Four months and countless money-paying missions later, Naruto was more than ready to try his luck on his long time crush. Ah… Sakura…

He swung his legs over the side of his bed and took off his night cap. Placing it over his hand, he raised the hat and cleared his throat. "Um… Sakura, did you do something with your hair? It looks shiny, err, extra shiny, um, not that it's never extra shiny, it just looks… blinding…" He stopped, and then tried again. "Good morning, Sakura, you look very lovely today. Do something different to your hair? No? Okay, then. Different about me?" Naruto grinned slyly and leaned closer to his nightcap. "You noticed my new, _expensive _cologne. What? You find me irresistible? Why thank you, Sakura. What? You wanna kiss? Sure!" He brought the goofy hat closer and then dropped it, hanging his head miserably. "Yeah, like that'd ever happen."

Six minutes later, he stood before his mirror, gazing determinedly at his reflection. In his hand was his cologne. The dark amber liquid caught the light and turned the glass bottle shine like a star plucked from the heavens. Naruto swallowed. This was it. This was the moment that determined if Sakura was going to find him irresistible or a punching bag. The cork made a satisfying pop and Naruto dipped a finger into the bottle. The liquid was cold and he was immediantly surrounded in a cloud of strong smell. He sniffed his wet finger. It smelled like hairspray, nothing special, but if girls liked it, then he wanted to smell like a bucketful. Naruto wiped the smelly stuff on his cheeks, his neck, his arms, his legs, and even went as far as to drip a bit down his pants. There! Naruto's white teeth grinned back at him. Now Sakura would have to accept his date.

"Sakura, your skin is gleaming. Sakura, your eyes are sparkling. Sakura, your hair is flawless." Naruto tucked the bottle into his weapons pouch and opened the door. "Sakura, I was wondering, no, I was thinking, no, Sakura, I want you to come with me on a date." He closed the door behind him and walked down the hall toward the building's exit. "No, that's too forceful. Sakura, ware you hungry? Yes, well I was just heading to Ichiraku Ramen shop for breakfast, Wanna come? My treat. Yeah, that's good."

The streets were already busy. Naruto squeezed his fat wallet in his fist, thrust out his chest, and began to strut pass the stores and bustling people purposely. Today, Naruto was a new ninja, a ninja worth respecting!

"Naruto! Hey, Naruto!"

Naruto looked back as Kiba fell into step beside him. Akamaru peeped out from his jacket. "Hey, I didn't know you ever got up so early." Suddenly Kiba's nose began to wrinkle.

Naruto, unaware of his friend's discomfort, laughed. "Yeah, I never do! But today, I have something important to do!"

Kiba stopped and covered his nose. Akamaru whimpered and ducked his head down deep into his sanctuary. "Naruto, is that coming from you?"

"What?"

Kiba stepped closer and sniffed. "That smell. Yuck!" He grimaced and recoiled. "What did you do to yourself?"

Naruto proudly took his cologne bottle from his pouch and held it out. "For Sakura. It's irresistible to girls! You should try it."

Eyes watering, Kiba backed away. "Yeah, girls who think skunks make good perfumes. Really, Naruto, you've taken your idiot reputation to the next level. I'll, uh, see you… later." He high-tailed it the opposite way.

A little put out; Naruto glumly returned his cologne to his pouch. "Huh, what got into him?" He turned and continued on his way. "Ah, he's just jealous. Probably on his way to get some right now!"

The Hokage building loomed tall over the others in the vast village, outdone only by the faces of the past leaders embedded in the rocky cliff overlooking the land. Naruto fairly skipped. Sakura had rarely left Granny Tsunade's side since taking on her role as the healer's apprentice and she was always in the building's area. He would find his Sakura and there he would make his move, and no crabby old lady would stop him. He felt as if not even a landslide could stop him. The sun lit up the new day and leaf buds began to open on the trees' barren branches. There was a soft breeze, no chill, no sign of a cloud. The perfect day!

The steps leading up to the entrance were empty. Naruto cleared the flight in four bounds and found that the door was ajar. Strange, could something be going on? He opened it farther and looked to his left, and then to his right. No one. "Hello? Granny Tsunade? Sakura?"

The Hokage's office wasn't locked, but peering in, Naruto saw that it was empty. "Hmm. What's going on?" Usually there were people scurrying up and down halls, and Granny Tsunade was usually snoring at her desk. Curious. Naruto shut the door and moved on. He felt a little guilty about snooping around, but he wasn't in the mood to turn back on his perfect day. The guilt was gone.

"Hello? Anyone?" Naruto passed empty room after room. A stack of papers was set on the floor right in the center of the hall, a few sticking out as if put down in a hurry. Naruto stopped and put his hands on his waist. "What's going on around here?"

"I seriously doubt that this so called _treaty _has anything to do with peace."

"What?" Naruto turned and walked ahead. A door, opened only a crack, was the entrance to a meeting room. The young ninja sank to his hands and knees and peered in.

Granny Tsunade and the entire ninja council sat at the long table, submerged in what appeared to be a heated conversation. A blue scroll lay unrolled and shifted abut on the tabletop. Tsunade slammed her fist down. "But if it does, then this is our one chance at achieving peace with yet another rival! Not only will we be benefiting, but others may follow our example."

The old woman who had spoken up earlier creased her wrinkled face in a deep scowl. "They may just as easily lure you into a trap, Lady Tsunade. You could be killed by a simple foolish mistake."

Tsunade's hand clenched. "Be careful who you call foolish, Icheera. I may be a lazy old woman who would rather be at a relaxing bar than at work, but I'm no fool. This treaty may be the beginning of he end of war, an alliance. The unannounced arrival is a bit suspicious, but-"

"But nothing!" An elderly man cried out. "They're scheming to kill you!"

"That's quite enough!" Tsunade snapped. The man fell silent. Her sharp eyes flicked from face to face like a stern mother scolding her unruly children. "We've been debating this for over an hour and I've already made up my mind. I'm going, and I'm taking my assistant Shizune and twelve dependable shinobi with me. Any objections?"

A sullen silence fell over the council. Tsunade didn't smile, but her face softened in relief. "Good. Now for preparations. I've already sent out my own message to the Land of Water containing the time and place for the meeting to be held and I will decide on what the peace offering is to be before we go."

Icheera, the old woman, spoke up. "What of the village while you're gone? What if we get attacked?"

Tsunade looked grim. "That's one matter that I've waited to discuss with you about. A replacement in my absence."

The hairs on the back of Naruto's neck prickled. A substitute Hokage?

"I say Jiraiya," a man declared. "He was our first choice as Hokage until he recommended you for the job."

Pervy sage?! Hokage?! Naruto stifled his burst of laughter. All he would do is sit in the hot springs for free and attract girls with his temporary title. Oh, that would be priceless!

"No," Tsunade said quickly. "For one, Jiraiya is away on a…" Here she cleared her throat. "Mission."

What she meant to say was a peep at some tan babes at some distant beach.

"And second, he's not exactly the type to sit in an office and do paperwork for hours at a time. Five minutes and he'd be asleep."

That's exactly what _she _did.

"And third, if the village was attacked, Jiraiya wouldn't hesitate to summon up some giant frog and hurl himself into the midst of the fray, destroying the enemy and the village and anyone else in the way." She sighed.

True. All too true.

The old man stroked his silver beard. "So not Jiraiya. What about Kakashi? The copy ninja?"

"Hmm…" Tsunade turned around in her chair to gaze out the window. "Kakashi is a good ninja. He's powerful, experienced in battle, somewhat patient, and above all, he's got the sharingan." She turned back. "The downside is that he has no sense of time whatsoever, he has the habit of reading that horrid make-out series of Jiraiya's when he's supposed to be working, and he has a lack of listening skills. Kakashi's an excellent sensei, but I think we all agree he'd make a horrible Hokage, even for just a few weeks."

Hmm, Naruto thought to himself. Can't argue with any of that. He'd be late to is own funeral if he could.

"Then we should be in charge," a relatively young women said loudly. "The ninja council."

Naruto could see the village burning down to ash just thinking about it. Tsunade thankfully saw the same. "No, no, no! If that were to happen, nothing would get done. There will be one person in charge! One Hokage! Now shut up. I need to think." Tsunade closed her eyes and her fingers knotted together under her chin.

Suddenly a man sniffed the air. "Do you smell something?"

"Gah!" The man across from him pinched his nose shut. "That smells awful!"

Awful? Naruto's hopes sank.

"Naruto?"

The young ninja looked up to see Neji walking toward him. Trying his best at looking innocent crouching beside the meeting room door, he moved his hands around the stone as if in search of something. "Heh, dropped a dime."

Neji's nose crinkled and he stopped. "Naruto, is that smell coming from you?"

"It's my new cologne. Do you like it?"

Tsunade stood up. "Neji?"

Neji, shielding his nose, stepped around the guilty ninja and opened the door. "Lady Hokage. You sent for me?"

Naruto scrambled upright. "Hi. Uh, dropped a dime…"

Tsunade sat back down. "Yes, Neji. I hope the letter I sent you was clear enough for you to understand what's going on?"

The flat blue eyes of Neji watered as he nodded once. "Yes." He took a small step away from Naruto.

"Good." Tsunade turned her attention to Naruto. "And I suspect that you do to?"

The young ninja rubbed the back of his neck bashfully. "Yeah, see, I dropped this dime…"

"So Jiraiya, Kakashi, and the ninja council are out of question," Lady Tsunade said. Grumbles rose and fell. She closed her eyes for a moment, tapping her pointed nails on the table.

Naruto looked over at Neji hopefully. "Really, Neji. How do I smell? Do you think Sakura will like it?"

Usually solemn Neji craned his neck away from the young ninja. "Naruto…"

Tsunade opened her eyes. "I've made my decision." She smiled pleasantly. "Neji, Naruto, I need you to get someone for me…"

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Oooooh... suspense! REVIEW! tell me who you think it is!! Use some sense, not just your favorite character. Imagine if Naruto was in control... shudder...


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